Ingredients

• 4 small beef cheeks
• trimmed
• 500ml/18fl oz red wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 4 shallots
• halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 700ml/1¼ pint good beef stock
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 55g/2oz honey
• ½ orange
• finely grated zest only
• 1 quince
• peeled
• cored and quartered
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large Desirée potatoes
• peeled and cut into even chunks
• 75ml/2½fl oz double cream
• 20g/¾oz unsalted butter
• cubed
• 100ml/3½fl oz Arbequina or other fresh
• grassy olive oil

Directions

• Put the beef cheeks in a dish and top with the wine
• bay
• garlic and shallots. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• Remove the beef cheeks and set aside. Pour the marinade into a casserole dish and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer until the volume of the liquid has reduced by three-quarters.
• Preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a high heat. Brown the beef cheeks for 4 minutes on each side
• or until caramelised.
• Transfer the cheeks to the reduced marinade and pour in the stock. Add the cinnamon
• cloves and honey and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for about 2 hours. Skim the surface every so often to remove any fat.
• Add the zest and quince and cook for a further 1 hour or until the cheeks and quince are soft and tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile
• to make the mash
• cook the potatoes in lightly salted water for 20 minutes
• or until tender. Drain
• then pass through a sieve or vegetable mill.
• Gently heat the cream in a saucepan
• then pour it into the potatoes. Fold in the butter and Arbequina olive oil and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve
• divide the cheeks and quince between four plates. Add a spoonful of mash and pour over the sauce.